Arian

UK: /ˈɛərɪən/ US: (âr′ē ən, ar′-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Ar•i•an  (âr′ē ən, ar′-), adj. 

1. of or pertaining to Arius or Arianism.

n. 

2. an adherent of Arianism.

• Late Latin Ariānus of, pertaining to Arius; see -an
• 1525–35

Ar•i•an  (âr′ē ən, ar′-), adj., n. 

1. Aryan.

-arian, 

1. a suffix forming personal nouns corresponding to Latin adjectives ending in -ārius or English adjectives or nouns ending in -ary (librarian;
   proletarian;
   Rotarian;
   seminarian;
   sexagenarian;
   veterinarian);
   subsequently productive in English with other Latinate stems, forming nouns denoting a person who supports, advocates, or practices a doctrine, theory, or set of principles associated with the base word:
   authoritarian;
   totalitarian;
   vegetarian.

• Latin -āri(us) or -ary + -an

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Arian / ˈɛərɪən/ adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterizing Arius or Arianism

noun

1. an adherent of Arianism

adjective , noun

1. a variant spelling of Aryan

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

-arian /-ˈeɪriən/  suffix. 

1. -arian is attached to some nouns and adjectives that end in -ary to form personal nouns: library + -arian → librarian;
   seminary + -arian → seminarian;
   veterinary + -arian → veterinarian.
2. -arian is also attached to some roots to form nouns with the meaning "a person who supports, calls for, or practices the principles of (the root noun)'': authority + -arian → authoritarian (= one who believes in central authority);
   totality + -arian → totalitarian (= one who believes in total governmental rule).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Ar•y•an  (âr′ē ən, âr′yən, ar′-), n. 

1. Language Varieties, Archaeology [Ethnol.] a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.
2. Government (in Nazi doctrine) a non-Jewish Caucasian, esp. of Nordic stock.
3. Language Varieties (formerly) Indo-European.
4. Language Varieties (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

adj. 

5. Language Varieties of or pertaining to an Aryan or the Aryans.
6. Language Varieties (formerly) Indo-European.
7. Language Varieties (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

Also, Arian. 

• Sanskrit ārya of high rank (adjective, adjectival), aristocrat (noun, nominal) + -an
• 1785–95

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

-arian suffix:forming_nouns

1. indicating a person or thing that advocates, believes, or is associated with something: vegetarian, millenarian, librarian

Etymology: from Latin -ārius -ary + -an

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Aryan, Arian / ˈɛərɪən/ noun

1. (in Nazi ideology) a Caucasian of non-Jewish descent, esp of the Nordic type
2. a member of any of the peoples supposedly descended from the Indo-Europeans, esp a speaker of an Iranian or Indic language in ancient times

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an Aryan or Aryans

adjective , noun

1. Indo-European

Etymology: 19th Century: from Sanskrit ārya of noble birth